500+ Action Verbs to Use on Your Resume

Tired of resume bullet points that all sound the same?

You led this, you managed that… but so did everyone else. And if your resume blends in with the rest, you might get ignored, no matter how qualified you are.

Keanna Carter, a former Google recruiter, puts it bluntly: “If you say managed five or ten times, I’m going to assume AI wrote your resume.”

That’s where using the right action verbs for your resume can make all the difference. Variety matters.

And if you’re not using action verbs at all, now’s the perfect time to start.

One study found that starting your sentences with action verbs can boost your chances of getting an interview by 140%.

To help you stand out, we’ve put together a list of 500 powerful action verbs for resume writing. They’re organized into categories so you can quickly find the best words to highlight your skills and experience.

What are action verbs?

Action verbs convey doing, and include words like achieved, designed, and implemented. They make you sound clear, confident, and results-driven.

The best place to use action verbs is at the beginning of your bullet points. You can also use them in your resume summary or resume objective to make a strong first impression.

Instead of saying “Responsible for improving customer satisfaction,” just say “Increased customer satisfaction.” It’s more direct, easier to read, and sounds stronger.

Don’t ever start a bullet point with “responsible for.” It’s vague, passive, and doesn’t show what you actually did. Hiring managers want to see action, not job descriptions.

Not sure which words to use? The lists below are packed with powerful action verbs to help you describe your experience with clarity and impact.

Action verbs for when you managed a project or team

Did you lead a project from idea to execution, or manage a team to get it done? The following action verbs go beyond “managed,” one of the most overused words on resumes.

These words highlight how you coordinated people, organized resources, and drove results.

Top picks to use instead of “managed”

Full list of action verbs for “managed”

Action verbs for when you were creative

Brought a fresh idea to life? Whether you designed, built, or wrote something, these action verbs help you showcase your creativity and originality in a way that gets noticed.

The following words signal innovation. Use them to show you’re not just a doer, but a creative thinker.

Top picks to highlight creative work

Full list of action verbs for creative work

Action verbs for when you did office work

Office work keeps everything running smoothly, but it often gets overlooked on resumes. These action verbs help you highlight your efficiency, attention to detail, and ability to keep operations on track.

Top picks to highlight office skills

Full list of action verbs for office work

Action verbs for when you did research

Did your work involve digging into data, uncovering insights, or supporting decisions with evidence? These action verbs will help you show off your analytical and investigative skills.

Top picks to highlight research experience

Full list of action verbs for research and analysis

Action verbs for when you helped with a project

Support roles are critical to a project’s success, but the verb “helped” doesn’t seem strong enough.

When you need to highlight your ability to assist, these action verbs highlight how you contributed, collaborated, and kept things moving forward.

Top picks to highlight support and collaboration

Full list of action verbs for collaborative and supportive work

Action verbs for when you used technical skills

Did you code, build, debug, or improve a system? These action verbs help you communicate your technical abilities with clarity and confidence.

They’re especially useful for showcasing problem-solving, precision, and hands-on expertise across technical roles.

Top picks to highlight technical expertise

Full list of action verbs for technical skills

Action verbs for when you used numbers

Did you work with data, budgets, forecasts, or financial reports? These action verbs help you highlight your analytical, budgeting, and results-driven skills without sounding repetitive or dry.

Whether you saved money, tracked key metrics, or increased revenue, the right verbs help your impact shine.

Top picks to highlight number-driven accomplishments

Full list of action verbs for data, budgets, and financial impact

Action verbs for when you were the teacher

Did you lead a classroom, train coworkers, or mentor new hires? These action verbs help you show how you guided, supported, and inspired others to grow.

They’re perfect for highlighting leadership, communication, and knowledge-sharing, whether formal or informal.

Top picks to highlight teaching and mentoring

Full list of action verbs for teaching, mentoring, and guiding others

How to use action verbs on your resume

Action power verbs are one of the easiest ways to make your resume more dynamic, focused, and results-driven. But using them effectively takes more than swapping out the dated phrase “responsible for.”

Here’s how to make action verbs work harder for you when you write your resume.

1. Go beyond the most common verbs

Some verbs—like managed or led—are so common that recruiters barely register them. To stand out, choose more specific and powerful verbs that show how you did something and what the impact was.

The top 10 most overused action verbs are: 

2. Pair verbs with numbers

An action verb is just the start. What comes next matters even more. Numbers bring your accomplishments to life and help recruiters see the value you bring.

Not sure if your resume shows enough measurable results? Jobscan’s resume scanner will tell you if you’ve quantified your accomplishments effectively or not.

Here’s how to use it:

You’ll then see a Match Report that tells you how closely your resume matches the job description. The closer the match, the more likely you are to get an interview.

The Report also provides you with Recruiter Tips that highlight measurable results in your resume.

3. Use active voice

Stick to active verbs that clearly show you were the one making things happen. Avoid passive phrases like “was responsible for” or “was given.” For example:

PRO TIP: Use a free tool like HemingwayApp to check your resume for passive voice.

4. Choose industry-relevant verbs

Tailoring your language to your field makes your resume feel more aligned with employer expectations. For example:

Not sure which words reflect you best? Check out this list of words to describe yourself for ideas that sound authentic and confident.

5. Tailor your resume to get more job interviews

Most companies use an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) to store and organize resumes. When recruiters search the ATS database, they use keywords from the job description.

These are usually skills and other qualifications they’re hiring for. To show up in those searches, your resume needs to be tailored so it includes those keywords.

To speed up the tailoring process, use Jobscan’s resume scanner. Simply paste your resume and the job description into the scanner and click “Scan.”

You’ll then receive a resume score that tells you how closely your resume matches the job description.

Here’s an example of a section of the Match Report:

In this example, you can see that adding the keywords “Endocrinology,” “Negotiation,” and “EMR” will increase your resume score.

You can try the resume scanner for free below:

If you’re wondering which layout works best for your experience, check out our article about resume formats before you start writing.

And if you’re not sure how to list your degree or school information, here’s how to write your education section on your resume.

Should you add references to your resume? To find out, check out our guide to references on a resume.

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